It is a
special event when a sizable group of mineral collectors gathers to be the
first to view a large selection of world class minerals. Recently attracting such a crowd was the former
Peter Via collection, which had recently been appraised $16,800,000. Upon his
death, he had bequeathed it to the James Madison University Mineral Museum in
Harrisonburg, Virginia,.
The
collection had never left Mr. Via's private home in Roanoke until he died in
2018. It was the largest gift the University ever received. Because of Covid, a
grand reopening event by invitation only at the museum’s new home had to be
rescheduled from April, 2020 to October 29, 2021.
The crowd
poured in to the Lower Drum of JMU's modern Festival Conference and Student
Center on its East Campus. With leaves approaching peak color, it was a prime time
of year to be in the area. Torrential rain and westbound traffic backed up for
numerous miles on I-81 West were less cooperative.
Notwithstanding,
the number of mineral aficionados that managed to attend the event was
substantial. After a short walk from easy parking, guests wound their way
downstairs to a large visitor-filled room where volunteers at a check- in table
handed out pre-printed tags. Penned onto each was a number referring to the
group with which the holder could enter the museum. Wine and a few snacks were
available to everyone. Down a short hallway, a designated group stood waiting
to enter the exhibit room entrance after a previous group had exited.
Unlike
others who were present, this writer had by special arrangement been able to
visit Mr. Via at his home in Roanoke
years before to see this amazing collection. I had photographed as many
specimens as time allowed and also enjoyed an opportunity to chat with Mr. Via in his den about his mineral collecting
philosophy.
Mineral Bliss's October 27, 2014 post, “Unbelievable but True
The World Class Personal Collection of Peter Via" resulted from that visit.
Subsequently, Dr. Lance Kearns, JMU's Emeritus Professor of Geology and Curator
of the Museum, with his wife Cindy, a current geology professor at JMU, spent time
with Mr. Via during the period when he decided to bequeath his collection to the
university.
When it
arrived, the world famous mineral photographer Jeff Scovil went to work with his camera. Also involved
was Wendell Wilson, the Publisher and Editor in Chief of MIneralogical Record. He personally
authored a 23 page article about the collection that appeared in that
publication’s September-October 2020 edition. At present, numerous images of the
specimens are available on line in association with a brief video narrated by
Dr. Kearns.
Lance and
Cindy Kearns were immediately inside the museum door as guests entered. When I
greeted Lance, he mentioned that Mineral
Bliss’s 2014 post had prompted the discussions leading to the bequest of
this amazing collection to James Madison University.
The
specimens intermingle with the larger collection that Dr.. Kearns describes as
"a composite of five collections." Prior to owning the Via specimens,
JMU had always displayed specimens in systematic suites based on chemical
composition and atomic structure. While the systematic arrangement remains
largely in place, many of the Via specimens are arranged in different kinds of
small groups, especially when based on visual qualities of a given species or
genre. In addition to specimens on display, JMU owns 1770 catalogued specimens
in storage. Some will undoubtedly be candidates for rotation into the display.
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